Lithuanian Baltic Rye Bread Sourdough Food

LITHUANIAN BALTIC RYE BREAD (SOURDOUGH)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees.
• Proof the yeast in the lukewarm water with the sugar.
• Bring the coffee to a boil, turn off the heat, and stir in the chocolate to let it melt. Add the molasses and stir again. Let cool until lukewarm.
• Blend together the yeast mixture, the coffee mixture and the sourdough starter. Add the caraway seeds, salt, ground bran cereal and stir in the flour, cup by cup.
• When you have a dough that you can knead, place it on a lightly floured (all purpose flour) work surface, kneading until elastic and shiny.
• Place in a large buttered bowl, cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk. This should take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Take the dough out again and punch down a couple of times. Divide into 2 equal pieces, shape these into two round loaves and place on a buttered baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Bake about 50 to 55 minutes or until brown and the breads sound hollow when tapped with your finger. Cool the breads wrapped in a towel. Two loaves. Can be frozen.
• Breads Of The World.

LITHUANIAN BLACK RYE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• See the Photo Gallery for images of the different steps.
• Day 1 Morning: Levain and Scald
• Mix the levain ingredients in a container with space for tripling, cover, and let ferment 8-12 hours. Aim for the long end of that range if your kitchen is cold e.g. low 60s.
• Toast your sprouted rye flour in a pan on the stove for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until it reaches about 176°F. Avoid overtoasting the flour as that could introduce bitterness to the flavor. Transfer it to a bowl and add the water that's been heated to 170°F. Cover and let the scald sit 8-12 hours while the levain is maturing. I stored the scald in a Thermos but this isn't necessary.
• Day 1 Evening: Opara
• In a bowl with room for tripling, mix together the levain, scald, and 150g rye flour. Cover and let sit overnight (8-12 hours).
• Day 2 Morning: Final Dough
• Combine the warm water (105°F), honey, sugar, and salt. Stir thoroughly until dissolved. In a bowl, mix together the this liquid, the opara, and flours. A stand mixer, danish dough whisk, or spatula work well.
• Prepare a sheet of parchment paper or a well-floured peel.
• Using damp hands, shape the rye dough into a tube that is about 10" x 4". Lay it on the parchment and further smooth the surface with damp fingers.
• Cover and let the dough proof for 2-3 hours until it has expanded and has a more bumpy looking surface and a few small holes from air popping through. I used an inverted bowl as a cover to avoid plastic wrap or a cloth sticking to the dough.
• Baking (Day 2 Late Morning)
• Preheat your oven and baking stone or steel (inverted baking sheet is okay too) to 350°F for at least 20 minutes.
• Prepare the glaze in a pan on the stove by whisking the corn or potato starch into the water (cold) and setting it to simmer until it has thickened. Set it aside to apply partway through the bake.
• With wet fingertips, smooth the surface of the dough and then load it into the oven.
• Immediately turn up the oven temperature to 445°F.
• Bake at:
• 445°F for 15 minutes
• 390°F for 25 minutes
• Remove the bread from the oven, apply the glaze to the surface of the bread with a pastry brush, then return the bread to the oven and continue baking at:
• 390°F for 5-10 minutes
• When the bread is finished baking, the internal temperature should be about 208°F. This is higher than The Rye Baker's 198°F but I believe it works for the moisture content.
• Let the bread rest for 24 hours before slicing. Store in a bag, bread box, or under an inverted bowl.